EMU begins athletic director search

Eastern Michigan University announced Friday the search for a new athletic director was officially underway following the departure of former AD Derrick Gragg Jr. at the beginning of the month.
According to a press release issued Friday, “The next EMU athletic director will lead a department known for success on and off the field, along with community service.”

The release also named Walter Kraft, EMU’s vice president of communications, as the leader for the search committee tasked with finding the new AD.

Vice president of communications since August 2009, Kraft was also chairman of the committee that recently completed Eastern’s successful NCAA certification process. According to the release, EMU was one of the last two universities to undergo certification before the NCAA declared a moratorium on the highly rigorous process.

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The release also mentioned that other members of the search committee would be announced soon.

Currently, Melody Reifel-Werner is serving as the interim AD until a permanent replacement can be found. Reifel-Werner is likely a candidate for the full-time position, as she posesses the desired qualifications. She had previously served as associate athletic director and senior woman administrator since 1996 when she was originally hired at EMU.

Questions or nominations may be directed to Kraft at wkraft@emich.edu or by phone at 734-487-6895.

The university has also set up an athletic director search page outlining the job description and other details about the position for perspective candidates. The page can be found at emich.edu/adsearch.
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